


Memories

by neon



Series: Florist & Merc AU [10]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Cunnilingus, Eventual Romance, F/M, First Time, Gen, Oral Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:07:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25194400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neon/pseuds/neon
Summary: All the flashbacks from theFlorist & Mercseries, collected in one place in sequential order.Can be read by itself.
Relationships: Aerith Gainsborough/Cloud Strife
Series: Florist & Merc AU [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1798867
Comments: 4
Kudos: 39





	1. A Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> The context for this AU is:  
> \- Aerith was an orphan. Cloud was a SOLDIER.  
> \- Aerith is now a florist, and Cloud is now a mercenary.  
> \- Most main events in canon never happened, or never involved Cloud or Aerith.  
> \- Aerith is still a Cetra, but no one ever discovers that exact fact, including her.  
> \- Aerith's house is the same as in FF7R, but it's not in Sector 5.
> 
> This chapter originally appeared in ["A Beginning and an End"](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24928258).

Cloud finally stumbled, shoulder smacking the rock wall hard and impact shedding more blood around his done feet.

He hissed from sliding down the rock to sit. He meant to clutch his side tighter, only to find the usual strength of his hand replaced by… nothing. By weakness. And warmth replaced by chill, even though his hand was covered in fresh blood. Not good.

He’d been stupid. Heard that Gorgers roved in swarms. Even though he’d only seen the one right off, he’d sheathed his damn sword, and razor claws had torn.

So stupid. Barely a mercenary, already a poser.

He couldn’t claim to be surprised, really. Like he could have been anything more than a SOLDIER, after all. Well, he grimly thought, At least the monsters’re dead too.

He didn’t know where he was. Some dirt road, some cliffs. Middle of nowhere. He laid down on his side and cast his eyes to the sky, past pale flowers he saw growing valiantly through the rock wall’s cracks.

Maybe turning mercenary hadn’t been such a lost cause. At least he got to die under a blue vault, instead of a steel ceiling.

* * *

Nothing was lucid when he opened his eyes again; when he felt a hand that wasn’t his on his side; when he saw a basket fallen over on the ground inches in front of him, having spilled a dozen or so flowers. More flowers than he’d seen in his lifetime.

He tried to turn and see who the hand belonged to. He caught sight of the sole of a buckled boot, the hem of a pink skirt, before he winced and his eyes rolled into the back of his head again.

" _Ugh…_ "

"Hey, are you alive?" A girl’s voice was asking him. Then speaking to herself, "… _Please_ tell me you’re alive."

_Shit_ , he answered. Was he? "You tell me…"

He strained to keep his eyes focused forward. Did manage to roll his head and see who the hand belonged to.

A girl, probably as young as him. She was… pretty. She had a ribbon in her hair. The more Cloud was awake, the less sure he actually was.

She knelt over him, one hand planted on the ground, the other planted on his side. She leaned to help him catch her eye as his head rolled again. He watched her mouth flatten into a determined line.

"You are," the stranger answered, absolutely firmly. _Huh…_ he said. He immediately knew one thing about this stranger - despite appearances, she was tough.

Probably shouldn’t have, but he raised his head to finally take in the damage of his side. He blinked at the unexpected glow of green light. Dust, or something like it, drifted out of the girl's hand, into his wounds.

"The-the hell…?"

As alien as her hand looked, Cloud had the floating thought that it also looked elegant, followed by another thought - that that sort of hand shouldn’t be stained by blood. Especially his.

"Just hold still, okay? I… I _think_ I’m almost done."

"You… _think_?" He tugged his stare free of her hand and narrowed his eyes. "Do you even know what you’re doing?"

"Hey, a little more gratitude from the invalid would be appreciated, here." Her mouth formed a moue, puffing with annoyance. "I haven’t actually done this that often, okay? It’s not like I come across half-dead people every day."

"…How’d you even find me?"

Her eyes widened - was it that weird of a question? - before she didn’t answer, "You’ll be patched up in no time."

And unbelievably, he was. He sat up, carefully, testing the return of his strength. Her hand was still on him, to steady him just in case, he supposed.

He nodded at her, and she understood that silent affirmation, taking her hand back. Wringing it in her other hand - conscious of the bloodstains on them.

Guilt made Cloud’s shoulders droop from their habitual shielding around his ears. He pointed out, _Uh, there’s - some grass. Over there._ She answered, _Oh_ , like that was a good idea. She wiped her hands across the patch of grass, turning them over when she was done. She returned Cloud’s look.

"Seriously," he asked, "How’d you find me?"

"…Do you really want to know?"

Why was she being so weird about it? "Yeah."

"Okay." She pointed over his shoulder at the flowers he’d seen growing through the rocks.

"The flowers told me."

He didn’t get it. But he knew, she wasn’t lying.

"…Really?"

Her eyes were round as she stared at him. "Yeah, actually." But bright. Green, too, Cloud noticed.

He remembered the other flowers from her basket. He brought his legs under him and managed to push himself up, and knelt again a few inches over to start picking them up.

The girl said, _Oh, thanks_. She joined him, folding her dress under her thighs, sitting a little closer to him than he’d expected. He replied dryly, "Least this invalid can do," making her grin, and liking that he made her grin.

She batted at her skirt after straightening up, taking the basket handle Cloud offered back to her and balancing it on her upturned wrist. Her head dipped toward her shoulder. Mirth shone in her eyes.

"Now, c’mon. Can’t have you walking back into civilization looking like that."

He looked down at himself. Grudgingly saw her point. He lifted his head again, staring at her once more. He didn’t think he’d really stopped.

"Who are you?"

"Just a florist." She relented, answering without teasing this time, "Name’s Aerith. Yours?"

His jaw tipped up.

"Cloud Strife."

"Cloud Strife," she repeated, the name much softer when it came from her. He felt his face warm - incredible, since the blood loss. "Nice to meet ya," Aerith said.


	2. The Visitor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The context for this AU is:  
> \- Aerith was an orphan. Cloud was a SOLDIER.  
> \- Aerith is now a florist, and Cloud is now a mercenary.  
> \- Most main events in canon never happened, or never involved Cloud or Aerith.  
> \- Aerith is still a Cetra, but no one ever discovers that exact fact, including her.  
> \- Aerith's house is the same as in FF7R, but it's not in Sector 5.
> 
> This chapter originally appeared as "[The Visitor](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25099201)". Also in this chapter there's mention of Alder from the story, "Routine". He's an OC who gives out monster hunting jobs.

Once she'd found the right man in town to speak with, Aerith made her job posting - a job for one specific mercenary, first name Cloud, last name Strife. No details. Just directions to the property in case Cloud forgot. He was a little… dead, the last time.

Several days elapsed before the flowers murmured, passed along from the fields to the daffodils in a vase on the kitchen table, that someone had stepped onto the property.

"Oh? We have a visitor?" Aerith lowered her mug of tea and asked, "Any idea who?"

Maybe someone was planning a wedding and needed flowers. Or maybe the doctor was sending along another request for medicinal herbs. Aerith raised her cup of tea again while waiting for the flowers to talk with one another.

In time, they responded, _Lonely warrior_.

Aerith gasped and stood, causing her tea to splash with the bottom of the mug being knocked so hard onto the table.

Aerith, shaded under the porch, waited. The distant rumble traveled its way over the hill before the bike did. Cloud slowed in front of Aerith, dragging heel of his boot helping him to a halt.

He grabbed the edges of his goggles to take them off. His eyes were as breathtaking as Aerith remembered. Glowing brightly, a little more blue today with the brilliant sky behind him than reactive green (Alder had given Aerith an idea of why that mix was so when she'd mentioned Cloud’s name in her job posting). His spiky hair was extremely spiky after being windblown. He still wore that crazy hunk of metal for a pauldron on his left shoulder, and that humongous sword on his back. And, that frown on his face. It was Cloud, all right.

Cloud swung off the bike, knocked down the kickstand, and stood by the bottom of the porch. Aerith smiled at him.

"Hey, again!"

"Hey."

She pouted at such a lackadaisical response. Cloud was being his more prickly self again - his shoulders slightly hunched, his eyes drifting down and sidelong instead of making contact with hers.

_Hmm._ Aerith clasped her hands behind her, rocking on her feet, before skipping down to ground level with him. "Nice ride," she tried, bending to look the bike over.

He looked back at it (a light-framed, olive-colored dirt bike) too. "Not really." He placed his hands on his hips in what seemed to be a habitual posture for him while Aerith straightened and shrugged, not really knowing much about bikes anyway. He tensed again shortly, and dropped a hand in his surprise, when he must have realized his guard had fallen after she’d come near.

"Better than traveling all this way by foot! You found the place okay."

"Yeah. Your posting still sucked."

_Wow_ , Aerith mouthed, mock scandalized. "Is that how you talk to a client?" Cloud huffed, turning his face to profile. "You’re never gonna hang onto mercenary work with that kind of attitude, you know."

He mumbled, rudely, "And what do _you_ know about being a mercenary?"

"Well…" Aerith tapped her chin, making a show of thinking about it. "I know only the very _best_ can tackle this job."

The shadowed, tired skin under his lower lids tightened. "And just what _is_ 'this job'?"

"Follow me. C’mon."

Aerith turned and started walking, not waiting. She heard the crunch of Cloud's boots treading after her soon.

She showed him out back, a corner of the yard against the cliffs hidden by a nest of tangled vines, long grass fallen on itself, and even more troublesome:

"Weeds."

Cloud raised an eyebrow, as if to say, _Yeah, and?_ Then he realized.

" _This_ is the job?" At Aerith’s enthusiastic nod he only grew more skeptical. Probably of her sanity. "You serious?"

"Oh, deadly serious. These are probably the toughest enemies you’ll ever face. Just look at all the destruction they’ve caused!"

He did look. He sighed, rubbing his forehead with one of his gloved hands.

"…Am I actually gonna get paid for something like this?"

"That would only be fair. Don’t worry, I have gil." At his disbelieving scoff, _Hey, I_ do _have it!_

Aerith put forth her hand. "So, do we have a deal?"

She kept her hand there even as he leaned instinctually back. Then, he sighed. He answered, "Fine." Smart instincts, Aerith thought, to know she wasn’t an opponent he could win this time against. Maybe the weeds weren’t the toughest enemy he’d face after all.

When Cloud finally took Aerith's hand, she felt the warmth of him through the soft-worn leather across his palm. But Aerith was surprised by how light his hold was. She’d expected a much harder one. He was being careful of his own strength.

But also giving himself away. It seemed a lot like kindness for such a tough customer.

Aerith squeezed back, pumping their hands together once to make the deal official.

"Great! But first, I hope you like tea."

After making sure Cloud was hydrated, and after convincing him to lean his giant now unnecessary sword against the wall of the house, Aerith gave him some spare gardening gloves and her instructions and let him have at it. She fanned out the ends of her dress over the grass to settle behind him, keeping a couple of yards away to give him some space.

He was making quick work of it, actually, several piles of pulled grass and loose branches forming in no time. No time at all, Aerith thought, a little disappointed. Why did he have to be so efficient? She lifted her own spirits by taking in the view. His blond spikes golden in the sun, his shoulder blades shifting under his shirt, his exposed arms glistening with beads of sweat. Might as well appreciate it while she had it.

He looked up when he heard a whistle, from the blade of grass Aerith held between her thumbs and blew on. She pulled her lips back to ask, "Getting tired?" He had turned his damp forehead against the crook of his arm raised.

He shook his head and picked up another bunch of branches near where he’d been working to toss on top of what he’d made his main pile. The manual labor actually looked like it was relaxing him. An air of tranquility had started floating sometime around his movements. Aerith half-expected a butterfly to pick a moment soon to alight on his shoulder.

"Are you gonna survey the whole time?" Cloud asked.

"Gotta make sure I get my money’s worth! Or do I get a discount for helping you?"

"Ha. Not a chance."

"So stringent. Well, guess I’ll just have to keep sitting here."

She cupped her hands differently to change the pitch of her grassy whistle.

"Whatever," Cloud said, without heat. "Have it your way."

Instead of returning to more weed-picking and vine-wrangling though, he shadowed his eyes under his hand to better see the house beyond Aerith, gazing up to its roof with the beautiful triangular windows and their eaves. Aerith placed the piece of grass on her lap to let him have this moment.

"It’s a… nice place, you got. Didn’t think flowers paid so well."

"Hmm? Thinking of changing professions?"

"Maybe," Cloud joked. "Like you said… I’m not too sure I’m cut out for being a mercenary."

"Aw, Cloud, I didn’t mean it. Don’t be so down on yourself, you’re doing a great job so far today!"

"This isn’t mercenary work, no matter how many times you try and call it that."

"I guess you’re right. If you did decide to change professions, it seems like you’ve found a new calling."

Aerith looked at Cloud instead of facing the house. He had turned away from the house as well, expression half-hidden as he was looking up at the lit red cliffside, then off to the shadowed hills. It was getting cooler out. Aerith pulled her knees up and grabbed her elbows wrapped around them.

"There weren’t any flowers here before I showed up, but the house was always nice. It used to belong to a caretaker at the orphanage where I grew up." Aerith noticed in her periphery Cloud turn slightly toward her.

Aerith went on. "She never lived here. She’d just been hanging onto it. And then, out of the blue, I found out she left it to me when she passed." Aerith had suspected it was out of pity for her, the girl who had never found a home. "Kinda unbelievable, right?"

Cloud stared. Aerith tipped her head. "What’s wrong?" He became self-aware again, and shook his. He looked back up from under his lashes.

"…Sorry," he said. For which part, Aerith wasn’t exactly sure. She’d kind of told him a lot. At least, more than she’d told most people. She’d always been a chatterbox, but she rarely said anything about herself. She wondered why she’d picked Cloud.

"It’s okay," said Aerith. "That was all a long time ago."

"Still," said Cloud.

Aerith smiled. "Thanks, Cloud."

Except she knew. Cloud hadn’t doubted her, after all, when she’d told him she could hear the flowers. Although, he had been dying at the time. That had to be why she’d posted the job. She had to know for sure, if their chance encounter was actually just a one-time fluke.

Aerith stood.

"It’s getting pretty late." The garden lamps had started to flicker on to light the paths. Cloud blinked around him. _Oh._ "I can offer food and board, if you can pay me back by doing a couple more things tomorrow. Just here and there."

"The hell? Then _I_ owe _you_?" Cloud grumbled. But there was a moment where he looked… lost. Like _he_ understood he didn’t belong in this place, and was wondering why Aerith was inviting him to stay. That was just what Aerith thought, anyway. She hadn’t forgotten the daffodils' description of him, and Aerith herself was an authority on the first part.

"Okay," he said, in a voice barely too small.

After eating (side by side on the porch with plates on their laps, Aerith afraid the formality even of such a simple kitchen table would spoil Cloud's delicate, tranquil mood), after cajoling stories forth about him into the night (one of which being that before hunting monsters he grew up in a far-off mountain village Aerith had never heard of, where his mom still lived, though he hadn’t been back to visit for a long time for what reason he thought he kept secret but what Aerith guessed as having something to do with him being a deserter), Aerith set Cloud up in the spare guest room.

The light from the hall cut across him on top of the bedcovers, trying to get comfortable on his back with his hands folded on his stomach.

"Good night," said Aerith.

He looked over at her, then back up at the ceiling. Blinking a couple of times, before closing his eyes and repeating, "Good night."

He probably wasn’t used to being in a stranger’s place, surrounded by stranger’s things - if he thought Aerith was still a stranger. Cloud had been there before when he’d needed the change of clothes and to wash off all that blood. Still, it was different, for him to stay overnight.

Aerith shut the guest room door, yet remained outside it. Aerith thought the atmosphere, even if it was weird, was nice. Knowing that there was another person, and that person was Cloud Strife, present in the house besides her, was nice. It was an awfully big dwelling for only one person. Could get lonely.

Aerith woke from hearing Cloud up and about first the next morning. Floors creaking despite what she suspected were his best efforts. Tap barely splashing in the bathroom sink. Front door clicking open and shut.

Aerith stayed in bed, keeping her eyes closed and smiling to herself as she listened to his noises drift away. If this was all a dream in the end, Aerith wouldn’t mind. Really. It had been a good one.

But she never heard the motorcycle start up. Cloud was walking on the garden paths out front when Aerith rose and stepped onto the third-story balcony, and spotted him.

When he felt her eyes on him, which was almost right away, she waved. Calling as he walked his way back, "You get a good night’s sleep?"

"Yeah… actually." Maybe he wasn’t used to that.

"You hungry?" His answer was the same. Aerith came down the stairs, almost running into Cloud as he opened the front door and she rounded the last step. "Oops! Sorry!"

"Uh. No big deal."

"Huh?" She looked back at him to see why he sounded funny. His glance flickered from her to the window, while he crossed his arms. She looked down at herself, at the wrap dress she'd grabbed and tied on. It did sort of… cling.

"’S nothing," he said, toeing one of the floorboards.

Him acting flustered was making her feel flustered! Aerith hurried behind the counter that divided the main kitchen from the dining table, regaining herself, and telling Cloud, "Take a load off, 'kay? Breakfast will be ready in a sec."

She set a pan down and started up the burner, and reached in the fridge for eggs, ignoring Cloud’s eyes if she felt them on her. She did glance up at the sound of glass scraping across wood. Cloud had pulled the vase in the center of the table closer to the edge where he sat, rotating it to idly look at the daffodils.

Aerith let him eat before giving him his first set of tasks (fixing a wobbly wheelbarrow, then using it to bring soil over to a new garden plot). Then she did have her own work to do, collecting flowers for a special order. She rejoined him midday where he was shaking out another load of dirt.

"This enough?" he asked her.

"Oh, that’s plenty." He set the wheels down. Aerith remarked, "Easier work than lugging around that sword?"

He looked surprised. "Huh? Oh." _My sword._ His eyes found the house where the sword had leaned since yesterday. "I s’pose." Aerith could see his bike still parked out front, too. A reminder that they did have their own lives they needed to get back to.

"Well, mister merc," Aerith sighed, "That’s all I've got. Your work here is done."

She smiled past it, but he frowned.

"That it?"

She held up her finger. "Well, _one_ more thing."

She led Cloud back to the first spot he’d worked on, that corner he’d cleared out by the cliffs. She knelt near the ground, cupping her hands around her mouth and whispering.

"Okay, guys. Plenty of room now."

"Uh… Aerith?" Her braid whipped around when she turned and shot him a look. He sighed, and instead knelt beside her, looking at her and then the ground before her.

The flowers started pushing through the earth. Climbing to their tallest height, their petals then unfurled before their eyes. Dozens of blue delphiniums had reclaimed the patch in a matter of seconds.

_Whoa_ , said Cloud softly.

Aerith grinned. He’d become still, almost unnaturally, next to her, after drawing in one long breath to smell the sudden perfume from the blooms. She bumped her shoulder against his to knock him out of it.

"That have anything to do with your healing power?" he wondered.

Aerith shrugged. "Dunno. Probably."

"Y’know." Cloud hesitated. He started again, "Some people in town, they call you-"

"Been asking about me, have you?" He looked away because she’d nailed him. She eased up, encouraging him again, "Come on. What do they call me?"

"…They call you a witch."

"'Witch'?" Aerith pouted. "That’s just rude."

"Some people call you a miracle worker, too." There were others, besides Cloud, Aerith had helped before. Aerith’s powers weren’t a secret, really. She just didn’t flaunt them, that was all.

"Hmm. Well," she said, "I prefer Aerith. Or local florist." She picked one of the flowers and held it close to her chest. "I just do what I do. Hopefully it brings someone a little happiness. But there’s nothing really that special about me."

Cloud’s brow furrowed and he frowned. Aerith could tell he was taken aback. She was ready to lie, _Fooled ya,_ but he spoke first.

"…That’s not true."

"I’m just me. Honest."

"I-" Cloud was silent while he worked something out. "I mean, yeah. But that’s… you’re still-"

"Oh, hang on!"

Aerith bent her ear toward the ground, listening, and nodding. Cloud shut his mouth, and only opened it again to sigh instead of finish his thought. Aerith sat up straight again and looked at him.

"They say, 'Thanks!'"

"The… flowers? To who - me?"

"Of course you."

Cloud looked at the new blooms, and Aerith watched, close-mouthed, speechless. Because he nodded to them, and said back, "Uh. You’re welcome."

He was taking it so seriously. Aerith smiled, instead of giving in and crying.

He noticed, blushing. Or maybe his face was just heated pink from the sun. "Uh. Forget it. Never mind…"

"No, Cloud. I think they really like hearing your voice." He rubbed the back of his neck, frowning again. Sending Aerith another look that she just smiled sweetly at.

He walked his bike down the road, and Aerith walked beside him. His sword was strapped again on his back. A bouquet of flowers was covered and tied securely to it with twine.

His payment. Aerith had had to bring it up, shockingly. At the mention of getting paid Cloud had said with surprise, _Oh, right,_ as though he’d forgotten this was a job. He'd seemed to have forgotten himself a lot, in the past two days.

Aerith had added the flower she’d picked to her special bouquet order, and then handed it off to Cloud.

He’d said, "Knew it."

"Hey now, listen," Aerith had said back. She gave him a name and an address, and told Cloud, "Keep the gil I would’ve been paid. Flowers _are_ actually worth quite a bit." Cloud took her word, and accepted the bouquet.

They walked, slowly. At some unspoken point, they stopped together.

Each said, _Well, goodbye._ Cloud straddled his bike, touching his goggles around his neck. Aerith bit the corner of her lip.

Very soon she would have to walk back down the road, by herself, and return home, alone. She’d given up on having family, even any real friends, a long time ago. Except for Cloud. He’d come back. And he had enjoyed the past two days as much as her, hadn’t he? Aerith wished this, whatever this was, could last forever, even though the two of them had barely met.

Maybe she would try one more time instead of giving up, like she always did. One last try, since it was Cloud.

"Hey…" she said, at the same time Cloud turned and said the same.

They looked surprised at each other. Aerith smiled graciously, saying, "You first."

He swayed on his bike seat, dropped his fingers from his goggles. For him, fidgeted. He said, "Okay…"

Cloud took a breath and, meeting Aerith’s eyes, he asked, "Can I see you again?"

The answer was absolutely - the answer was _absolutely_ absolutely. But Aerith still teased him then, even with the great amount of happiness he’d brought her.

"Do I have to pay you to come see me again?"

His eyes grew wide, before he ducked his head, smiling small. He knocked his chin back up in her direction. "Nah. Free of charge."

"Then sure you can." Sincerely, Aerith said, "I’d like that, Cloud. I really would."

She waved at the other end of the road, calling, _See you soon, Cloud!_ Cloud raised his hand back in a tiny wave before dropping it to the throttle. Making an explosive, joyful sound with the revving of the engine as he took off, knowing, as certainly as Aerith, that he would return.


	3. Desertion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The context for this AU is:  
> \- Aerith was an orphan. Cloud was a SOLDIER.  
> \- Aerith is now a florist, and Cloud is now a mercenary.  
> \- Most main events in canon never happened, or never involved Cloud or Aerith.  
> \- Aerith is still a Cetra, but no one ever discovers that exact fact, including her.  
> \- Aerith's house is the same as in FF7R, but it's not in Sector 5.
> 
> This chapter originally appeared in "[Desertion](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25193425)".

The Motonox Gust was firm under his thighs. The sky was heavy over his head. Cloud eased to a higher gear to outrace the storm clouds. He didn’t want to get caught in a downpour before reaching Aerith’s place. He hated the rain besides.

He thought he couldn’t be hearing right, but that was definitely the sound of another bike on the deserted road. Coming fast, too. Cloud glanced at the mirror. What he saw behind him was a black and gold bike unlike any he’d seen. Ridden by a stranger in a uniform Cloud was all too familiar with, though.

What was a SOLDIER doing this far from Midgar?

"Well, _hello_!"

Cloud pretended to ignore the SOLDIER, but stared sidelong. Wearing his goggles, the SOLDIER wouldn’t have been able to tell. The SOLDIER’s own face was bare, no helmet either covering his coif that descended into a ridiculous mullet. Cloud could tell the SOLDIER wasn’t to be taken lightly, though. Didn’t know what class, but he never even had to nudge his bike once back on course as he stared, very intensely, at Cloud. Or the bike was just that excellent, it practically drove itself.

"You must be Cloud Strife." Cloud’s eyes snapped back to the road ahead. "Oh, so sorry! How rude of me to not introduce myself first. My name is Roche - but you may address me by the more accurate appellation, Speed Demon!"

And with that, he torqued ahead, weaving and spinning impressively across Cloud’s path. Toying with him.

Cloud drew his sword from the harness on his back and angled it down and behind him, ready to sweep.

"You must be wondering what I'd want with you, Cloud Strife!" the SOLDIER, Roche, called back.

"Why don’t you _hurry up_ and tell me, 'Speed Demon'." Cloud’s retort caused loud, carrying laughter from Roche.

"The answer is this!"

He popped the motorcycle’s front wheel off the ground, spun it, and slammed it back down to crash onto Cloud. He missed - Cloud braked at the last second to dodge, impressed despite himself by the reckless maneuver. Not just the bike that was good, then.

"Shinra has a hefty bounty out for one deserted SOLDIER, who just so happens to share the rising name of one very helpful mercenary."

Cloud hissed below his breath, _Shit._

"It’s not everyday a SOLDIER deserts… and manages to get away with his life. I even heard," Roche slowed to ride alongside, "You’re First Class."

"… _Was,_ " Cloud admitted, pride getting the better of him.

"Myself?" Roche replied, pride doing the same. "Third. Ha! Does that surprise you?" Cloud’s eyebrows _had_ risen.

Roche steered sharply toward Cloud, forcing the course they were on. Cloud parried the blow of Roche’s sword that came out of nowhere. "Let’s see what you’re made of, shall we? Come on!" _Let’s push it past the redline!_

Eventually, bike pushed to the limit and sliding out from under its rider, Cloud was forced to a stop. Eventually, the SOLDIER and ex-SOLDIER faced each other on solid ground.

The way Roche fought with a sword was like a dance. Cloud hated dancing. Even if his feet could follow the damn steps - until he was the one taking the lead.

He pointed the tip of his blade at Roche’s throat.

"Satisfied?" he asked him.

They were both panting. But Roche answered, "With such fleeting pleasure? Hardly."

Roche shifted to rise, harmlessly. Cloud removed his sword.

"I’m gonna let you live this time. And you’re gonna leave me the hell alone."

"You have a soft heart, for a SOLDIER." Roche’s look was calculating, even as he continued grinning close-lipped.

" _Ex-_ SOLDIER." Roche raised his hands, palms out, assuaging.

"I make no promises, Cloud Strife." He said, tapping his chest, "You see, you’ve turned the key…"

Cloud wondered what the hell that meant. Then he decided he actually didn’t care to ask.

Roche continued, "I never had the intent of turning you in to Shinra - my curiosity was simply piqued. But now you’ve made me even more curious. How far can we soar, the two of us?"

"…Do you ever shut up?"

Roche, of course, laughed. Settled, and said, "You've won this time. In exchange for my life, I’ll give you this." He sat on his bike again, finding the handholds blind since his stare was still on Cloud.

"There were others looking for you. Though they’re still far behind us. Try not to die to them."

Cloud scoffed, _Not a problem._ Roche revved the engine and hollered:

"Until next time, my friend!"

_'_ Friend'?

Cloud stood his own bike up from where it had skidded to a halt and, after inspecting it for unfound damage, settled on top of it.

He held the key without turning it. He felt one cool drop on his bare wrist, and he tipped his head back to see the dark sky falling.

Cloud wasn’t able to outrun the rain, after all.

He was drenched by the time he made it to Aerith’s. Dripping on her porch as she ran back inside to grab a towel. Grumbling half-heartedly as she ignored him and rubbed the towel over his hair.

"Sorry," he said again, for being late.

"No worries." Aerith hung the towel over the banister and leaned back beside it.

Cloud looked at her in her light blue dress today, color of the sky before the weather changed over. She looked up at the porch roof, where the rain was pounding it from above.

"…Do you like rain?"

Aerith tipped her head, thinking about it. "Rain can be good for the flowers. But not a downpour like this. Hopefully it passes just as quick as it came on." Aerith returned Cloud’s look. She idly swung her foot between the rails behind her. "Why? What about you?"

Eventually, Cloud shook his head. "Oh? Any particular reason?"

"…Bad memories."

"Oh." Her foot stopped, propped up on its heel. "Wh…at’s going on, Cloud? You’re still shivering, you know."

He looked at his own hand, tucking his fingers in tightly before shaking them back out. "It’s just adrenaline."

"What happened?"

He almost said, _Nothing_ , but stopped the bad habit word from making its way out. It obviously wasn’t true. He decided instead to be straight with her.

"I was ambushed on the way over here."

"Monsters?"

"No." Though he'd called himself a demon. But still, "Just some guy."

Cloud braced himself to keep going with what he had to say.

"There’s something I haven’t told you. About what I was before a mercenary."

"You mean a SOLDIER?"

Cloud blinked hard at Aerith. His brow bunched in his astonishment.

"Y-you _knew_?"

"Well, yeah."

Aerith's own delicate eyebrows had arched in her surprise from Cloud's reaction. He was gaping. He snapped his jaw back up. Dropped his stare. He spoke gruffly.

"Well, there are people after me. Because I’m not that anymore." He mumbled, more to himself than for Aerith to hear, "Shinra wasn’t ever gonna take that lying down."

Cloud forced himself to look back up. Tried not to sound like he hated this next part.

"…Might want to keep your distance-"

He cut off. Surprised because Aerith had put her finger up in front of her lips to shush him.

"And that’s enough right there." She flattened her foot, and grabbed herself firmly on her waist, striking a stubborn pose. "It took me my whole life until a few months ago to find you. I’m not letting you off that easy."

"Huh?"

Aerith smiled and dropped her arms, grabbing onto the bend of her elbow behind her instead, while she waited for Cloud to process. Had she just said her whole life? For him?

Wasn’t it the other way around?

"…You make it sound like we're…"

"Yeah? Like we’re… what?"

The rain was letting up. The sky was brightening. Aerith looked up from under her lashes, expectant. Waiting for him to finish.

"Meant for each other," Cloud said. 

"You don’t think so?"

"I - never said that."

"Then… what _are_ you saying, Cloud?"

She knew. But Cloud knew she wanted to hear it from him. He swallowed.

C’mon, he thought at himself, You got this.

He took a step toward her, and another, until she was looking up at him. Her eyes crinkled, glinting, while she tried to restrain her growing smile, while his hands found the banister on either side of her. "I-"

Aerith thumped her forehead suddenly on his chest with a heavy sigh, by all appearances defeated, for some reason. "Sorry - like, _really_ sorry - but we have company."

The rain must have drowned out the sound of them coming. But the flowers would have told Aerith. " _Shit,_ " Cloud said, gripping the banister before letting go. He moved to scan the view. Three figures on motorcycles crested the hill. Somehow they’d followed him. Here, of all places, where she lived.

"Cloud," Aerith said, her hand curling over his forearm, "We got this."

'We'? Cloud thought briefly, before he took up his sword, and took the steps down to meet the trespassers.

He got it a moment later, when a round of bullets meant for him never hit. He’d thought the hunter was down, but apparently not for the count. Cloud raised the broadside of his sword, in time or not, but he hadn’t needed to.

A bright barrier appeared and covered him. Multiple shields fanning in the air, they looked like the petals of a flower. Cloud shot Aerith a look, on the porch with her hand outstretched. She nodded back, determined.

The hunter’s gun hand fell limp, finally passed out. Cloud kept moving, making sure his next blow knocked the next one out for real. He spun to the last one.

Alone, they stumbled back, heel ready to press down and crush a flower.

Aerith and Cloud saw, and shouted at the same time, " _Hey! Watch the flowers!_ "

Cloud grabbed them by the shirtfront and flipped them hard onto their back, out of range of the flower beds beside the path. The breath left them. They raised their hands. Cloud kicked their weapon away, and chopped the edge of his hand against their head, that lolled. Out cold.

Cloud leapt over the steps to check on Aerith.

"You okay?"

She looked fine. Reassured him with her exuberance.

"We did it!"

"Yeah. We did. That shield… That was pretty amaz-"

"Ah, Cloud! Your bike!"

Cloud, glad he’d equipped the right materia to his wrist that morning, quickly cast to encase the flaming bike in ice.

He and Aerith took in the tableau. Three sprawling, unconscious bodies, multiple weapons scattered, three unattended bikes, and one scorched motorcycle frozen in the yard’s new ice sculpture. Flowers miraculously intact, though.

Cloud told Aerith, "…You’ve got your work cut out for you, with me."

A corner of his mouth turned slightly up, against its tendency to frown, when his words were met with nothing but her delighted grin.

"Well, guess you’re not running away from me anytime soon," Aerith said, and decided, "You’re staying the night. But first, let’s clean up."


	4. First Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The context for this AU is:  
> \- Aerith was an orphan. Cloud was a SOLDIER.  
> \- Aerith is now a florist, and Cloud is now a mercenary.  
> \- Most main events in canon never happened, or never involved Cloud or Aerith.  
> \- Aerith is still a Cetra, but no one ever discovers that exact fact, including her.  
> \- Aerith's house is the same as in FF7R, but it's not in Sector 5.
> 
> This chapter originally appeared as ["First Time"](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28679124).

_Cloud…_

His eyes drifted open at the sound of his name, whispered in Aerith’s voice by the flowers he lay on.

With a soft grunt, Cloud leveraged himself to sit, drawing his knee up before he became still and listened. His attention aimed toward the house down the hill. The flowers craned in the wind blowing from that direction, echoing his name for the second time.

He didn’t know why, or how, he was hearing Aerith call out to him. But that didn’t matter. All that mattered was, she was calling.

He grabbed the hilt of his sword he’d buried upright in the ground, freeing it when he stood. He moved swiftly, letting the incline quicken his steps, keeping the momentum as he headed for the porch and the front door.

_Cloud… Cloud!_

He bounded up the flight of stairs two at a time. He made for Aerith’s shut bedroom door, twisting the handle quickly to fling it wide while reaching behind his head for the hilt of his sword.

"Aerith! What’s wrong—"

"C- _Cloud!"_

Cloud jerked to a standstill, blinking at the flutter of Aerith’s dress. She pulled her hand out from the folds of it, and squeaking loudly, yanked the hem to cover her knees again.

Cloud pivoted as suddenly as he’d barged in. When he left the room, he stood with his back to the wall outside, stuttering.

"S-sorry, I — I didn’t mean — thought I heard you—"

That sounded crazy, though. No way could he have heard her all the way out in the flower fields when she’d been in the house. Except he was positive he had. He just couldn’t explain it. The flowers… they’d done something. Aerith said they could speak to her. Maybe they could speak _through_ her. Even while she—

He remained awkwardly in the hall, his face hot. Eventually, Aerith’s voice reached him again.

"Cloud…? You still there?"

"…Uh." He answered, succinctly, "Yup."

" _Knew_ it," whispered Aerith, a teasing cadence in her hushed voice. She asked him, "So? Do you feel like coming back in?"

After a stunned moment, Cloud knew what his answer was. Same one as before.

"Yup."

He swayed only a moment, then ducked back through the open door.

Aerith sat in the same spot on her bed. The end of the dress, when it wasn’t being pulled at, draped naturally around the curve of her thin hips and thighs. Cloud looked at where her legs and the long dress folded and tucked underneath her, skimming his eyes to the lacy, crocheted halter neckline, and her bared skin. Pinker from her flush, especially next to the white.

Her hair was down. It curled lightly in front of her shoulders, down to her waist.

She gently bit her lip while he stared. Then she patted the blankets in front of her, when Cloud kept standing there. He shook himself. Remembered his sword was on his back, and lifted it off to lean it against the wall. He sat on the bed, too. At first on the edge, with only one leg bent on top. Then he moved closer to sit cross-legged in front of Aerith.

"Heya," she said. Cloud smiled slightly, too, after her airy laugh. "Hey," he responded.

He reached for a piece of her hair, trailing it to himself. He held the end against his closed mouth, glancing back up at Aerith’s captivated face.

"Cloud?" she asked, "Wanna watch?"

Her hair slipped from his hand, bouncing gently where it met her chest again. While he was speechless, she gathered her hair to fall past one shoulder, then leaned back onto her palm.

Her other hand started to slide her dress up her thighs.

Cloud’s eyes flicked from hers, green and bright from lingering headiness and her characteristic playfulness, to her hand pulling closer and closer to her lap.

Cloud’s eyes hooded as he watched her skin be revealed. Her bare knees, then her thighs. And then the short curls between her legs, darker where they were already soaked. He let out a breath he’d been silently holding, a low noise escaping him with it.

"Aerith…"

Her eyes widened at the huskiness she heard in his voice, too. Her bottom lip tucked into her soft bite again. She cast her gaze down with his. Her hands curled lightly in on themselves.

Cloud checked her face. Asked if everything was okay. Aerith admitted, "Actually… this is kind of more embarrassing than I thought."

"Don’t have to. If you…"

She shook her head and replied easily. "Yeah, I know. I still _want_ to."

Cloud hummed, unsure where to go from there. He glanced at her hand still holding the bottom edge of her dress around her waist.

"Got an idea, maybe."

"Oh, yeah?" she teased, one brow delicately rising. "Well, come on, Cloud — you have to tell me, y’know."

"…Lie back?"

She tilted her head with a quiet, _Hm? 'Kay._ She lowered her back to the bedcovers. Shifted her shoulders slightly, setting her feet flat and wiggling her toes, before she was comfortable.

Cloud reached for the material bunched around her thighs, carefully straightening it out from her grasp. He adjusted to lay on his stomach, between her legs, and he covered his head.

The light in the room filtered through the dress fabric. Made her skin underneath glow soft. Underneath was warm, too, from holding the heat of her body.

He asked, "This work?"

"Yeah… it sure does."

There was a rustle, and the side of her dress draped over her arm where she reached underneath. Her fingers flattened over her lower stomach. Still, barely, wavering. Cloud, after a moment of discarded hesitance, smoothed reassuring palms up the soft undersides of her thighs, into the crooks of her knees and back down, following along her curves to gently hold her small hips. He could see her slow breath lift and drop her stomach. Her hand moved back down, and she fit her finger back along the seam between her lips.

Cloud watched the way she touched herself. Light, but steady rubs, with her longest slender finger, that skated away now and then. Gave Cloud the view of her clit pulsing hard at the sudden lack of touch, while she quietly whined, until she started to glide her finger again. Feeling safe to do so without being overcome.

Cloud knew how much she enjoyed teasing people with her personality. He’d been the target of that too many times. Didn’t realize she liked to tease herself as much, though.

Cloud swallowed. He shifted closer, putting his arms above her hips, cupping her back in his palms.

Being in SOLDIER, he’d been surrounded by plenty of big-talkers. Best of the best, men full of themselves on the battlefield. Also men eager to brag about their prowess in bed with their other sword. Cloud overheard about the 'conquests' in late-night talks from their military bunks. Had 'exploits' explained in full detail to his face, despite his obvious lack of interest in listening, more than once by some bloated moron. But it gave Cloud an idea for where to start.

The rest, he’d have to listen to Aerith to tell him.

He let his eyes fall, and gently nudged his nose against Aerith’s fingers to push them aside. He replaced them with his mouth.

He heard her gasp, felt it too where he held her. Nudged away, she used the flats of her fingers to pull one side of her folds over for him.

Cloud dropped and relaxed his tongue, and wetly, slowly, dragged it up toward her clit.

" _Sh-shit! Cloud… Oh…"_ Cloud did it again, making her whine, and her knees threaten to squeeze together.

He kept the pressure light, pulling up before grazing the most sensitive part of her. Teasing, edging, same as he’d watched her do. More soft moans reached him from above her dress the lighter he stayed. Cloud moaned low himself, moving from the bottom again. He heard his name come from her again. And heard it whispered too over by the vanity, where he remembered there stood a vase of her flowers.

He pulled back, feeling the air on his damp chin and lips. Some of her slick on his mouth. He skimmed his tongue over his lips to dry them. She tasted kind of sweet. Reminded Cloud of the berries that grew in a patch near the base of the cliffs.

He double-checked with a hushed question, "Feel good?"

"Really, _really_ good."

"Yeah?" Cloud felt the corner of his mouth tilt into a smirk, pleased despite himself. That he made her feel good. "Sure you don’t… want me to do anything different?"

" _Mm-mm…_ Keep going. I like what you’re doing…"

Cloud suddenly ducked his head, even though Aerith couldn’t see him. He wondered if she could still guess his feelings by the heat coming off his face. The way she could unabashedly say something like that, express what she liked without fear, wasn’t something Cloud could feel the same level of comfort doing… before Aerith.

Had been like that the first time they’d kissed. Leading up to it, Cloud had only allowed himself brief touches. Knuckles brushing the back of her dress, her bare shoulder, once, when he thought he was especially daring. That was, until she’d had enough, grabbing his retreating hand. Holding it alongside her tilted up face, she gave him permission with a simple, "Hey, Cloud."

Cloud had huffed in answer. Mostly at himself. Then he’d replied, "Right," and kissed her, like they’d both been wanting.

Cloud kept going. Doing what felt right, being conscious of Aerith’s tells, the motion of her body, the catch and release of her breath. Felt like he could do it all day, if she wanted him to.

But distantly, he heard his name being called. "Cloud… Cloud…"

Cloud eased back, to roll his forehead against Aerith’s inner thigh. "Yeah," he rasped.

"Make me cum?"

Cloud groaned. He settled his face in front of her again, asking, "Right now?"

" _Mm._ I’m ready to, okay?"

"Got it," Cloud said. He wet his lips, and made them round over her clit. He gently sucked, and massaged her clit pulled into his mouth.

She clenched, tightened. He angled his mouth with her, pressing firm with his tongue. Slowly licking, staying gentle like she liked, as he rode with her through her quakes.

He felt her relax after the eventual last of them. He gingerly released that sensitive nub, but lapped at her wetness.

A hand finally settled on top of his hair, curving over the back of it to encourage him to come back up. "Cloud…"

Cloud uncovered himself from the bottom of Aerith’s dress, and sat back on his haunches. He pushed the edge of his wrist across his slick chin.

He saw the way she was looking at him. Completely satisfied. Like that was everything she wanted and more. Cloud cast his look down, trying to tamp down his ego, his happiness that she obviously enjoyed that so much.

She rose too, patting her dress back straight down her thighs, before holding a hand gracefully between them.

"Well, Cloud? Are you going to come up here?"

Cloud pillowed his head against her chest, with her arms coming up around to hold it. _Oh!_ she said, before she brushed her fingers through the strands of his hair.

She wondered, "Want me to…?"

Cloud shook his head against her, and turned his face into her soft skin showing above her top, kissing her there. "Nah… I’m good."

"Okay."

They laid together, Aerith softly combing his hair, Cloud listening to the gentle rhythm of her breath, and heart. Wondering how the hell he’d gotten as lucky as he had, to be that near to her. Didn't know it was possible, to feel like they were even nearer than they’d been before.

When they got up, they decided to test what Cloud had heard. Aerith pouted at her vase, _I can’t believe you guys,_ before they headed outside. She crouched next to a flowerbed by the base of the porch. Cloud got on his bike, driving further and further out, honking his horn each time he could still hear her voice traveling out through the meadow.

He cut the engine, listening when he hadn’t heard her for a longer than usual amount of time. There weren’t as many flowers, this far out from her property. But there were still some, sparsely scattered among the dirt alongside the road.

Cloud stood from his motorcycle and walked to a solitary one, crouching to get down closer to its level. Still didn’t know if it worked the other way around. And Aerith was always telling him he should learn to talk to the flowers more.

So, he murmured, "Hey… You mind telling Aerith something for me?"

When he made his way back to her, he was met with her smile that beamed, and he knew the flowers had carried what he’d said. The corner of his own mouth slowly rose, to grin.

"You goof." A little ways from him, she bent and cupped her hands around the petals of a flower, whispering to it.

Took no time at all for him to hear, _I love you, too, Cloud._

**Author's Note:**

> @highfivestrife (nsfw) if you want to witness my obsession with FF7R


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